Gabriel’s cosy suburban existence in England is soon forgotten as the supposedly straightforward task of overseeing the sale of a family property in Tobago exposes him not only to the dazzling colour, culture and spirituality of the Caribbean but also to dark and powerful political forces. With this paradise in peril and Tobago’s ecological future in the balance, Gabriel will be tested in ways beyond his wildest nightmares.

Author's note

In these times of public frustration and anxiety in the face of environmental degradation and self-seeking politicians, I have written a deliberately feel-good novel, putting my protagonist through his paces in an authentic Caribbean holiday-escape setting. Twenty years ago, my wife-to-be (herself a Trinidad & Tobago native) encouraged me out of my own Eurocentric comfort zone to experience her homeland. Like Gabriel, I relished the contrasts, interacted with the locals and became obsessed with photographing its extraordinary bird life. I am now irrevocably invested in the ecological wellbeing of Tobago and the welfare of its people with some of whom I have forged lifelong friendships – and in whose company, like Gabriel, I feel completely at home.